Worthy is the LAMB+... worthy is the LAMB+... worthy is the LAMB+ that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing! Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto HIM that sitteth on the throne and unto The LAMB+ for ever and ever. Amen.

Why did Paul’s prayers have SO
MUCH POWER ? Let us look at his life briefly to find the power of prayer,
always remembering:

EVERY OBEDIENCE

BRINGS

A FURTHER ANOINTING.

2 Corinthians 11 relates some
... just some... of his sacrifices for the New-Born Church. Verses 23 to 28 --- five short verses ---
records a LIFE-TIME of suffering.

Are they ministers of CHRIST?

(I speak as a fool) I am more;

in labors more abundant,

in stripes above measure,

in prisons more frequent,

in deaths oft.

Of the Jews

five times

received I forty stripes save one.

Thrice was I beaten with rods,

once was I stoned,

thrice I suffered shipwreck,

a night and a day I have been in the deep;

In journeyings often,

in perils of waters,

in perils of robbers,

in perils by mine own countrymen,

in perils by the heathen,

in perils in the city,

in perils in the wilderness,

in perils in the sea,

in perils among false brethren;

In weariness and painfulness,

in watchings often,

in hunger and thirst,

in fastings often,

in cold and nakedness.

Beside those things that are
without,

that which cometh upon me daily,

the care of all the churches.

We see this same Apostle who had
been transported into the Third Heaven and heard unspeakable words
that were "unlawful for man to utter" ...

saying this:

That I have great heaviness
and continual sorrow in my heart.

For I could wish that myself

were accursed from CHRIST

for my brethren,

my kinsmen according to the flesh:

Romans 9:2-3

Thus we see this great Apostle
and mighty Confessor of The LORD JESUS CHRIST not only
"simply prayed for "... but he ALSO made intercessionfor the other
followers of JESUS.

What is intercession?

How does INTERCESSION differ

from supplications

and other prayers ?

It is
what Our LORD JESUS CHRIST did for each one of us:

HE+ came

between

the satan and us.

HE+ intervened
--- placed HIMSELF+ between the destroyer and us, his
victim --- and protected us from
destruction by the satan.

HE+ took
the satan's blows, meant for us. The LORD JESUS fought
the devil and won.

The LORD JESUS came as
a man but lived in unity with His+ Heavenly
FATHER, pleasing HIM in all
things.

As the SECOND
ADAM+ , JESUS fought the devil ... and beat him FOR US.

His+Divineintercession entails more than supplications and requests
to Our FATHER for us.

It is interVENTION.

JESUS INTERVENES ---
placing Himself+ directly between us and the satan --- for
us. Furthermore, CHRIST ever liveth to make intercession for us...
which takes effect when we submit our lives unto HIM+.

Hebrews
7:25

Wherefore HE+ is able also to save them to the uttermost

that come unto GOD

by HIM+,

seeing HE+ ever liveth

to make intercession for them.

HE+ not
only delivered the victims from the satan's domain once

"taking captivity captive"

at the Resurrection,

but HE+ is
living -- abiding, staying, remaining constant forever --- in that
VICTORY, winning
over the satan daily in the battles, traps, and wiles the devil sets for
our souls.

The satan loses and loses and
loses... over and over again ... because of HIS+ INTERCESSION, the
intervention, of our LORD JESUS on our
behalf.

The Apostle Paul knew how to
intercede. He knew how to make
supplication to Our Heavenly FATHER for the New-Born Church.

But also...

that dear Apostle did not
hold himself back from all manner of suffering for the sake of the
church.

He wrestled with the evil
spirits IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST in order to deliver them
from the satan's grip.

Remember Acts 19 and the sons of
Sceva ?

19:13 Then certain of the
vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil
spirits the name of the LORD JESUS, saying, We adjure you by JESUS Whom+ Paul
preacheth. And there were seven sons of
one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.

19:15

And the evil spirit answered and said,

JESUS I know,

and Paul I know;

but

who
are ye?

That was the real question then.

Here is the real question today:

Whoare we ...

to the evil spirits, when we pray ?

Are we
so in unity with the Will of Our LORD JESUS, with the
Blessed HOLY SPIRIT, and our Heavenly
FATHER ...

that the evil spirits

tremble
when we pray ?

Have we the commitment to turn
away from self indulgence ... in all the little ways we employ... to do like
the Apostle Paul and bring our bodies into subjection daily ? (1 Corinthians
9:27 )

Are we willing and able to endure suffering for the sake of wrestling
individuals from the grip of the satan ?

Are we as certain that The LORD
JESUS will honor our suffering for the Kingdom of GOD as was this
Apostle who followed JESUS' example?

The Apostle Paul did not cease to
give thanks for the Brethren.

Nor...

did he
cease to labor and embrace suffering for the New-Born Church.

What a
good example !

Our LORD JESUS is the
Great Intercessor+. Our Brother and Apostle Paul
simply followed The LORD'S example in his heart, in
his life ... and in his daily dying to himself.

That, dear brethren,

is how we resist the devil .

REMEMBER:

EVERY OBEDIENCE

BRINGS A FURTHER ANOINTING

+ + +

Let
us pray:

Thank YOU+, LORD CHRIST, for
going to the Cross, coming between me and the satan, for my deliverance.

Forgive me for forsaking the
Cross when it is uncomfortable. Help me to embrace the Obediences YOU have
called me to embrace.

Help me, O LORD, to embrace true
intercessory prayer. Strengthen me to die daily to my flesh for the sake of
Your Kingdom.

And in that death to Self,
help me, LORD, not to be afraid. Help me to entrust my happiness and my
well-being unto YOU, my LORD and my KING+.

For the sake of Your Holy
SON+, the LAMB+ of GOD Who+ takes away the sin of the world, I offer You my
life through JESUS CHRIST my LORD.

The
literal Greek: For this reason
, I also hearing the faith concerning you all in
The LORD JESUS and the love towardsall the saints,

+ + +

Meditation

Reports came to the Apostle Paul regarding the Followers of JESUS in
Ephesus.

Here, then, were the reports:

The Ephesian Followers of JESUS were KNOWN
for their faith in CHRIST.

They were also KNOWN for the AgapA love they issued toward
all the saints... their fellow brethren in CHRIST.

Can this be said of us?

What kind of report about us would the Apostle Paul hear if he
were alive on earth today ?

Are we supportive of the Brethren in CHRIST whom we
know ? Are we supportive individually as well as collectively ?

Do we love the Brethren enough to warn them when they go astray
from the Narrow Way that leads unto Life Eternal?

Do we kindly and gently, with support, issue correction when
Brethren walk or talk against Scripture ?

Or rather, do we play at love and try to keep everybody
"happy" with that "warm
and accepted" feeling … at the
expense of CHRIST ?

Do we indulge in "friendship evangelism" ... i.e.,
"just come to our church and we will love you into the Kingdom of
GOD"... while not requiring true repentance and conversion and
amendment of life ?

Are we known for our faith in CHRIST when
the presses of life occur ?

Is our faith of SUCH depth that we can stand firm in the face of
depression and oppression ?

Is our faith dependant on wealth? On our health ? On others ? On
our family being intact ?

Hard times, troublous times, turbulent times ---
beyond those normal things that come upon all persons --- are at
the door. They have already descended in
horror upon many in the rest of the world.

It is a living nightmare what the Followers of JESUS are
enduring in North Korea, Syria and the Middle East, Pakistan, Nigeria, the
Sudan, and other African nations… and
now it is beginning in Europe.

Persecution is coming closer to home.

It is reported that one well-known Western nation's current
leader covers the Cross of JESUS if he must enter into a building
or room where it is hanging.

It is a fact that that same leader refused to attend the funeral
of a Supreme Court judge because the funeral service was in a Church and the LORD JESUS
CHRIST was proclaimed.

There is an abundance of politicians vying for leadership who openly,
proudly, and stridentlysupport
ungodly life-styles and Agendas, including the killing of babies in the womb
and"harvesting" their "valuable" organs. ( An
unthinkable, grotesque form of humanity trying to play "god." )

As a matter of fact, KILLING HUMANITY is the hidden but primary Agendaof most of these programs... from GMO seeds to enforced "health care" from the cradle to the grave.

Any one who refuses to personally participate in any of these unrighteous programsthat go against GOD'S WORDwill make himself a target.

One report from a reputable ministry stated that the Agenda is to
remove all Christian witness from the public eye. This has already taken place in some
countries in Europe; it is only a matter of time before it occurs closer to
home.

Take HEED, Church:

We CANNOT correct

SPIRITUAL problems

with political solutions,

so guns and voting

and civil "movements"

are NOT the realm

for Followers ofJESUS.

There areNO POLITICAL solutionsto SPIRITUAL problems.

JESUS is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. HE+ alone
is able to correct the spiritual sickness engulfing this world.

Instead of standing for guns, voting rights, civil movements, and
weeping over the flag, we must stand for JESUS.

We must weep

over this Sin-Sick World.

And the Sin-Sick Worldlings,

both in control and out-of-control,

are not going to like that.

Will our faith stand in the face of persecution ?

Will our faith stand when the enemies of JESUS
CHRIST make us choose to conform to their ungodly programs and accept un-holy
life-styles ... or face persecution ?

Will we love the Brethren… or turn them in if they preach a
righteousness based on Scripture instead of the ever-changing societal norms ?

What will

ourLORD and SAVIOR

JESUS
CHRIST

be hearing about us ?

+ + +

Let
us pray:

O, LORD JESUS, we need help. YOU+ know what is coming before YOU+
arrive to re-claim the earth.

We are weak and shallow; we have not been tested as our Brethren
have across the sea.

We think if we don't have the right food at the right time or the
right house we are bearing a cross.

We know the Refiner's Fire is
determined upon all the earth. Help us
to grow solid in YOU+.

LORD JESUS, I say I love YOU+; help me to pick up the Cross of
discipleship before the Cross of Persecution comes.

Help me NOT to shy away from spiritual discipline; I will not be
ABLE to shy away from persecution.

Show me, O LORD JESUS, how to stand against my own flesh and submit
myself unto Your+ Word.

I accept that the Time of Preparation is NOW to train myself to
deny my flesh... so that I do not deny YOU+ when my hour of testing comes.

YOU+ went to the Cross -- alone --- so that I would not have to go
through ANYTHING without YOU+.